A turboprop engine system is an aircraft engine system with propellers driven by an engine via one or more shafts and a gearbox. Generally, the propellers of a turboprop engine system are not surrounded by a duct, nacelle, or cowling and project from the front end of the engine system. During operation, air enters the turboprop engine system from an inlet underneath the propellers or two inlets, one on each side of the propellers, to be compressed, mixed with fuel, and combusted to drive the propellers. Such turboprop engine systems may be mounted on the undersides of wings or in the nose cowling of a fixed wing aircraft to power the aircraft with the thrust generated by the rotating propeller(s).
Some conventional turboprop engine systems may have an issue with noise, particularly noise generated by the engine itself. Such noise may be undesirable, especially from the perspective of passengers of the aircraft and ground crews that service the aircraft. In many systems, noise from the engine may travel from the engine out of the engine inlet at the front of the turboprop engine system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the amount of noise propagation associated with turboprop engine systems, particularly noise that travels from the engine out of the engine inlet. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.